...and we're back

---

sooo.... we are heading back tomorrow afternoon (for those who this matters too... i.e parents, our flight was re-scheduled to leave at 1pm Delhi time to arrive 9:15 LA time) and i am totally in awe of this experience. we have treated ourselves to a "nice" hotel here in delhi in a super nice (for here) area... and are enjoying our last few hours.

its almost hard to remember what i thought india was going to be like before we left to come here. and i am excited to have a final blog entry that sort of sums up the experience once i have a minute to process. but in the meantime... here are a few things i will miss and some i won't:

MISS: people going out of their way to help us

WON'T MISS: worrying that i forgot the toilet paper everytime we go out and simultaneously hoping that i won't have to go while out...

MISS: super cheap, super great, super fresh, super filling FOOD.

WON'T MISS: looking out the window during early morning train rides and wanting people go to the bathroom... number 2... pail of water in tow.

MISS: CHAI + MILK COFFEE

WON'T MISS: pulling out my travel sleeping bag + pillow case EVERY NIGHT

MISS: rickshaw rides - cheap, easy transportation

WON'T MISS: con-artists trying to "exchange money" for us (with fake bills)

MISS: the random, unexpected converstations and hospitality of the indian people we have met

WON'T MISS: being stared at

MISS: the BEST sugar cookies i have ever had made by some dude cooking them right on his cart just off hte bridge in rishikesh... i will crave them forever.

WON'T MISS: this should really be at the top of the list: being approached by <6-7 year old children begging for money or something to eat and telling them no... and feeling helpless to help them.... taking a step further... the severity of poverty we witnessed.

MISS: the smiles in spite of it all

WON'T MISS: detours to shops were we can "just look"..."looking is free" by our rickshaw/taxi drivers who get commission when they bring tourists by... ultimately its ok... we just have to say no & its another way to make a buck... but i'm over it

MISS: meeting other travelors from all over the world... making friends with people and swapping info & feeling like we can visit them one day and hoping we can host them too.

WON'T MISS: not being able to drink the water... always hauling a water bottle around with me (not that i don't in la too... but i guess its different cuz i don't HAVE to)

MISS: starting to pick up words of hindi...

WON'T MISS: "Dhoom Machalee' + 'touch me, don't touch me"... two songs here that we can't get out of our heads and its starting to make me mental. SERIOUSLY MENTAL.

MISS: arriving in a new place every 2-3 days or so

WON'T MISS: arriving in a new place every 2-3 days or so...

MISS: 24/7 time with michael

WON'T MISS: slow ass computers + hour long uploads

MISS: the game of charades that seems to accompany most converstations

WON'T MISS: the trash EVERYWHERE + watching people contri bute to it CONSTANTLY

MISS: the beautiful people + sarees + bindi's + different clothing/decoration

WON'T MISS: the spitting... the hawking that goes with the spitting... i have never tried to spell that before... hopefully it translates at lead pheonetically.

MISS: the ever-present spirituality

WON'T MISS: the stupid fennel seed that comes at the end of some meals.. its a refreshing end to some... but i HATE fennel and i HATE the way it smells... but i guess its pretty rad... better than chocolate mints, or at least better for you

MISS: king fisher beer

WON'T MISS: the lack of wine - or the difficulty for me to find it

MISS: not having a cell phone

WON'T MISS: being so far from family and friends.... thats right all ya'll

MISS: walking

geez.... i have a lot more... and i am sure probably more when i get back... but for now.. i guess that will suffice. i don't have the patience to upload fotos right now... but i think michael is going to a little... oh yeah.. we saw the taj mahal... holy holy... what an amazing place. we got there pretty early and it was great. it truly is magnificent. its a tomb... a mogul emperor built it for his wife when she passed away during the birth of their 14th child (wow). it took decades to finish and 20,000 people worked on it. the whole compound is breathtaking... he was aparently in the midst of planning to build his tomb... out of black marble... across the river from the taj to be connected by a bridge, but the plan was interrupted when his son overthrew him and imprisoned him in his own fort for 8 years. bummer. i have some great photos i'll upload at home with a fast connection 😊.... haha!

love you and see you all soon!!!

xoxox

ade

---